Who knows 1940's Raggedy Ann and Andy?

These were actually given to my mother as a child by her aunt as a present sometime in the 1940's. They are approx. 22" and 20" long.

They were played with a lot by my mother, so they are quite dirty, but otherwise undamaged.

I didn't pull all the clothing off, but I couldn't find any labels anywhere on the dolls.

 

I *think* these might have been a home made variety. We have a few people who know dolls, wait for others.

 

That's what I think too. I can't find a single example of vintage Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls online that have stitched eyes.

 

AGREE !!! ... Joy.

 

I guess the biggest question I have is should I attempt to clean them? And how? A good soaking and washing in mild detergent, I would imagine.

 

I can't tell if the facial features are sewn on or painted on .. if painted leave it as is .. in fact I'd leave it as is and just gently wash the clothing .. Joy.

 

They are sewn on. When it came to washing it, I was mostly worried about the stuffing, whatever it may be.

 

I certainly wouldn't recommend a complete soaking wash on these dolls .. it would likely ruin them, they are old and may fall apart .. they look old and they look right. ... Joy.

 

Ok, I'll just leave the "patina" alone.

I asked my mother about them, and she is convinced they are the real deal. Of course, I'm sure that is the impression her aunt gave when my mother received them. Her grandmother, who her aunt lived with, made a living as a seamstress so I asked my mother if she could have made them. She didn't think so, as her grandmother's eyes were failing by then. I remain unconvinced.

 

I believe that manufactured (as opposed to homemade) Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls have a label sewn into a side seam that says something like "an authentic Raggedy Ann/Andy" and a heart embroidered on the body with "I love you" stitched into the center of the heart.

 

That is what I have read too. There are no hearts on the bodies.

 

Hi,
I would be tempted to use Dyeral from the grocery store. It is a dry cleaning that you use in your dryer at home. I have cleaned a lot of really delicate items. I bought a pair of 100 percent silk lined drapes from 1890s. the specialized cleaner wanted 125 dollars to clean them with NO guarantees. I put them in the bag and the cleaning cloth and 15 minutes in the dryer with no heat. I immediately hung them up and they were beautiful. the wrinkles and dust and dirt where gone into the bottom of the bag. Best 10 bucks I ever spent.
greg

 

Many women made handmade dolls back in the day, made cheaply as playthings for their children when money was tight or just because they loved 'creating'. They are usually inexpensive to buy in this day and age but are a wonderful keepsake for the family to pass down to future children. Joy.

 

I think one of the main issues is fading honestly, so washing may not help that much. I'm not sure value is very high on these as even though they are cute. Here is an BIN pair on Ebay for $8.95 in pretty good shape. I realize these say "1950s", but there are a number of the handmade ones on there, so this was definitely a thing back then.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/RAGGEDY-AN...227955?hash=item4da127e473:g:KnYAAOSwYRtboWC6

I'm glad your mom played with them. That was their true purpose in life. And agree with Christmas Joy as probably even more love in these as they were likely handmade by someone, carefully stitched with creativity.

 

As a side note on vintage Raggedy Anns and Andys.

Sadly the market has tanked. 15+ years ago I purchased an authentic 1940s pair at an estate sale and turned around and sold them for $650. (They went to Japan -- there was a craze for them in Japan at the time.)

Nowadays same exact set would have a hard time getting $75.

 

And home made ones even cheaper. Just as another "aside" .. if you plan on tossing these dolls into the dryer undress them and check the seams on both dolls, make sure they are tight and unbroken ... it would be wise to check the thread also as it will have weakened plenty over the years specially with children playing with them .. Joy.

 

Nothing to add but wanted to say... What wonderful advice and information above. So many knowledgable people.

Debora

 

In case you do decide to use this stuff, it's actually called DRYEL.

 

Hi SBSVC,
Mea culpa. I blame it on non sleep.
greg

 

Greg, please... I was not finding fault! I just thought that someone might have trouble finding it - that's all!